Water-tight compartment for vessels



(No Model.)

J. B. BROLASKI. WATER TIGHT COMPARTMENT FOR VESSELS.

Patented May 5, 1891.

//v VENTOR ATTORNEYS NITED STATES JOSEPH B. BROLASKI, OF ST. LOUIS,MISSOURI.

WATER-TIGHT COM PARTM ENT FOR VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 451,803, dated May 5,1891.

Application filed June 17, 1890. Serial No. 355,707. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. BROLASKI, of St. Louis, in the State ofMissouri, have invented a new and Improved Construction of Water-TightCompartments for Vessels, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of water-tightcompartments for vessels; and the object of my invention is to providemeans for constructing an inexpensive yet substantial water-tightcompartment having suitable openings, which when closed will protect theboat from sinking should it spring a leak, and when open will permit ofthe ready handling of the cargo and not interfere with its safe stowage.

To this end my invention consistsin certain features of construction andcombinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a broken perspective view showing the inside of acompartment constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is asectional plan showing the construction and arrangement of the bulk-heador partition forming one side of the compartment. Fig. 3 is a brokendetail perspective view showing the relative arrangement of thecompartment-doors and skidway; and Fig. 4: is a broken detail sectionalview showing a bulkhead door partially open and the adjacent bulk-headto brace it.

In the accompanyingdrawings, A represents the inside of a vessels hull;B, vertical ribs of thesame, and B some of the vessels knees. Thetimbers C, which may be the bottom timbers, extend transversely acrossthe vessels hull, and attached to the under side of the said timbers, soas to form the outside planking of the hull, are the strips 0. Thevessel is also provided with a suitable deck D, supported upon thedeck-timbers d, and has a suitable hatch D, by means of which access maybe had to the compartment. The vertical partition or bulk-head E, whichforms a side of the compartment, extends transversely across the vessel,being formed of matched boards, as shown in the drawings, although itmay be formed of metal, if desired. The bulk-head E is held in positionby the vertical posts E, which are arranged upon each side of thebulk-head and extend from the bottom timbers (J to the deck-timbers (Z,the bulk-head being firmly secured to the said bottom timbers C. Thebulk-head E and the posts E are securely fastened to the bottom, timbersO, and are re-enforced by the cleats e, which are attached to thetimbers so as to bear against the posts. At the top the bulk head andposts are held in place by similar cleats which are attached to thedecktimbers d. The bulk-head and posts are not spiked to thedeck-timbers, and the cleats will permit the necessary twist or rackingmovement caused by uneven loading, waves, &c.

Opening through the side of the bulk-head E are the double doors H,which are formed of double boarding laid diagonally in oppositedirections, so that each strip of boarding will serve as a brace to thedoors. The doors are hinged to the bulk-head E, and are provided withvertical bolts h, having suitable handles h, by which they may beoperated, said bolts projecting into suitable sockets in the timbers Oat the bottoms of the doors and connecting with suitable bolts 72 whichextend into sockets in the timber d at the tops of the doors. The doorsare provided with these bolts upon the outer and inner sides, so thatthey may be securely locked; and while I have shown and described apeculiar form of bolt any suitable bolt may be substituted.

The inner edges of the doors are doubly beveled, as shown, to enablethem to fit between the bulk-heads E andI, as hereinafter described, andthe outer edge of one door is provided with a beveled portion 72, whichfits in the corresponding groove 71 of the opposite door. The doors arealso slightly beveled at top and bottom, so that when they are closed inposition they will form a water-tight joint.

Opposite the inner edge of each door H is a vertical narrow bulk-head orpartition 1, said bulk-heads being parallel with the bulkhead E, and thebulk-heads I are secured to the bulk-head E by suitable bolts, aspacingstrip 71 being inserted between the bulk-heads I and E to holdthem the necessary distance apart, and a suitable support z" beingplaced against the bulk-heads I and E for the ends of the bolts to giveadditional strength to the connected parts. It will thus be seen thatwhen the doors H are closed the inner beveled edges of the same will fitclosely between the bulk-heads I and E, forming thereby a water-tightjoint.

A skidway to facilitate the easy handling of the cargo extends acrossthe timbers 0, 0pposite the doors H, said skidway being formed of theparallel timbers J. The skidway is also provided with a hinged sectionformed of the timbers J, so that when the doors II are closed thetimbers J may be dropped against the doors, and will thus securely bracethem, so that they may resist the pressure of water when necessary. Fromthe foregoing descrlption it will be seen that the compartments may befilled with cargo, if necessary or desirable, and that by means of thedoors II and the skidway the cargo may be readily shifted from onecompartment to another.

Each compartment may be provided with a pump tube or box with holes atintervals therein to allow any water which may be in the hold to enterfreely into the tube or box, and a suitable tell-tale may be inserted inthe tube and connected with an alarm near the engineers stand, so as tonotify him when the water rises in the tube, whereby a leak, if any, maybe located, the extent of the leak determined, and it can be ascertainedWhether the leak is confined to one compartment or extends to others.

Bya system of pipes and cut-off valves the pumps can be applied to anyone or all of the cargo.

compartments. The pipes may also be used in the event of tire in thehold and any compartment being filled with steam or with water withoutdamaging other portions of the The usual scuppers or passages forbilge-water should be securely closed under each compartment.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new ancldesire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. In a water-tight compartment, thecombination, with the bottom timbers and the deck-timbers d, supportingthe deck D, having a suitable hatch D therein, of the bulkhead E,extending vertically from the timbers C to the timbers d, the posts E,arranged upon each side of the bulk-head E and having cleats e forattachment to the timbers C and d, the bulk-heads I, bolted to thebulkhead E and arranged parallel therewith, the interveningspacing-strip 't, and the doors H, provided with suitable locking-boltsand having their inner edges beveled to fit between the bulk-heads E andI and having interlocking outer edges and their upper and lower endsbeveled, substantiallyas described.

2. In a water-tight compartment, the combination, with the door hingedin the bulkhead, as shown, of a zkidway resting on the bottom timbers ofthe compartment and pro- Vided with a hinged section adapted to beclosed upon the doors and serve as a brace, substantially as described.

JOSEPH I3. BROLASKI. Witnesses:

P. BEARDSLEE, J12, Gno. J. CHAPMAN.

